Thresher



A g 1944. P. MILLARD ETAL THRESHER v Original Filed Aug. 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v 1944- L..P. MILLARVD: ETAL 2,356,419

THRESHER Original Filed Aug. 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hym Ill 40 58 Patented Aug. 22, 1944 THEE SHER v V LeeP. Millard and Stuart IlQ'Pool, Molin etllL, as

signors to International Harvester Company, a

. corporation of New Jersey" v p Original application'August 81:19.41, Serial No.

405,980. 'Divided and this application January 2, 1942, Serial No. 425,420

- 2 01mins. (Cl. i e-230.17)

This invention is a division of application Serial No. 405,980,1filed by the present inventors on August 8, 1941, relating toThreshers.

The invention relates generally to threshers and is particularly concerned with a novel drive and adjustment for the threshing cylinder.

An important object of the present; invention is the provision of a novel speed change device for the thresher cylinder.

Another important object of the present invention is the provision of novel means for adjusting the cylinder and the speed change device with respect to the cylinder concave. Y

According to the present invention, a cylinder shaft and a transverse jack-shaft are journaled in frame structure that is movably mounted adjacent each of the separator side sheets. Adjustable mating pulley sections are mounted in alinement on the cylinder and .jackeshaft. A novel manually adjustable means is operatively associated with each of the mating pulley sections in such a manner that the belt that is trained around said sections is always maintained in a straight line when the pulley sections are adjusted to change the cylinder speed. A manually adjustable means operatively connects the frame structures and the separator for adjusting the frame structures toward or away from the cylinder concave. This adjustment does not afiectthe speed of the cylinder, since the cylinder and jack shaft are maintained in spaced relation by the frame structures.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will'be apparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of the following detailed description of the preferred structural embodiment, taken in conjunction companying drawings.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of a thresher separator and shows the ,novel frame structures in which the cylinder and jack-shaft are journaled and the novel adjusting means for-said structures; Figure 2 is a sectionalview taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and shows the adjustable mating pulley sections jack-shaft; and

Figure-3 is a sectional view taken along-the line 3-3 of Figure 1 and shows the means for guidwith the acing and securing the frame structures to the separator side sheets.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be noted that the thresher chosen to illustrate the principles of the present invention comprises vertifor the cylinder shaft and cal spaced side sheets II and I2 that are con- 55 for the bearing plates l8b, I911, and HI).

nected at their upper edges by a top 13. The side sheets Hand l2 are reenforced by vertical angle bars l4. The usual concave l5 issecured between the sheets II and I2.

On the outside of each of the side sheets I I and l 2 is movably mounted a frame structure I! which comprises bearing plates l8a, l8b, Illa and 19b. As shown in Figure 2, the frame structures I! are positioned adjacent the side sheets H and I2. Spaced elongated openings Ila and H b are provided in the side sheets II, and spaced openings I211. and IZb are provided in the side sheet l2. The openings Ila and Nb are in alinement with the openings I21; and l2b. Each of the bearing plates I811, l8b, I9a, and 19b is provided with a bearing ,20 which extends through the openings provided in the side-sheets II and I2. This construction' is shown in Figure 2. Referring now to Figure 1, it is to be noted that the bearing plate l8a has a pair of angle bars .2! secured thereto; which extend toward thebearing p1ate=|8b, and the bearing plate l8b has apair ofangle'bars 22 secured thereto which extend toward the bear ingplate Illa. The angle bars 2| and.22 are positioned adjacent one another and are'secured together by bolts 23. The bearing plates I9! and 19b are also provided with angle bars 24 and 25 that are secured together by bo1ts'26.

Theabearing plates la and l8b are held adjacent the side sheet l2 by means of guide plates 21 w'hich are-secured to the sheet I 2 by bolts 28. As shown in Figure 3, opposite edgesof'the plates I 8a and l8b are provided with a bead por tion 29-over which a bead portion 30 of the guide plate 21 fits. Similar side plates 21 are provided In the bearings 20 provided in the bearing plates Na and 19a isjournaleda jack-shaft 3| which extends outwardlybeyond each of the side sheets H and I2. On the right-hand end of the jack-shaft 3| issecured a sprocket 32 which may be driven from any suitable source of power for the machine. On the'left-hand end of the jack-shaft" 3| is mounted an'adjus'table pulley 33 which comprises'mating pulley sections and 35. A manuallyadjustable means 36*consisting of a hand'wheel3l-and a cylindrical portion 38,

is journaled orL'the jack-shaft 3|. Thepjeriphery of the cylindrical sleeve portion 38 is :provided with right and left-hand threads 39 and-40. The pulley section 35. has a threaded opening Mat its center which is turned on the threaded por tion? 39 of the cylindrical portion 38, and-the; pulley section 34 has a threaded opening 42 which is turned on the threaded portion 40 of said portion 38. The hand wheel 31 adjusts the pulley sections 34 and 35. These sections, however, are slidably mounted on a supporting means 43 which comprises a disk portion 44 that encircles the shaft 3| and is fixed thereon by a set screw 45. Tubular members 46 extend from the supporting means 43 and are arranged parallel to the shaft 3|. The members 46 extend through suitable openings 41 provided in the pulley sections 34 l and 35.

The pulley sections 34 and 35 may be adjusted In the bearings 29 provided in the bearing plates lb and l9b is journaled a shaft 48 on which is secured the usual threshing cylinder 49 that cooperates with the concave l5. The shaft 48 extend outwardly beyond the side sheet 12 and an adjustable pulley 33a is mounted thereon which is identical to the pulley'33 with the exception that it is of different diameter. Since the pulley 33 has been described in detail, the same reference numerals with the letter a affixed will denote similar parts, and its construction will not bedescribed again.

A belt 50 is trained around the adjustable pull'eys 33 and 33a. This belt drives the shaft 48 from the driven jack-shaft 3|.

It is desirable many times to change the speed of the cylinder 49. By the structure just described, the speed of the cylinder may be quickly and easily changed. To effect this adjustment, the hand wheel 31a is rotated so that the pulley sections 34a and 35a are moved away from each other. This movement of thepulley sections 340. and 35a. slackens the belt 59. The hand wheel 31 is then rotated so that the pulley sections 34 and 35'are moved toward one another until the belt 50 is again taut. Since the pulley sections of each speed change device are moved with respect to one another, the belt 59 is maintained in a straight line position at all times, as shown in Figure 2.

After the adjustable pulleys 33 and 33a have been adjusted to the desired position, they are locked to the shaft on whichthey are mounted. Referring to Figure 2 and to the adjustable pulley 33", it will be noted that the end of the'jack-shaft 3| is provided with a reduced diameter threaded portion 3la on which a washer or collar is mounted. The washer contacts the end of the hand wheel 31, and the nuts 52 turned on the portion 3|d. clamp the cylindrical portion 38 between the washer 5i and the portion 44 of the supporting means 43. The adjustable pulley'33a is clamped to the shaft 48 in the same manner.

The frame structures l1 provided at each side of the separator Ill may be moved so as to change the distance between'the periphery of the cylinder. .9 and the concave l5. This adjustment is desirable, since sometimes the crop is heavy and a greater distance mustbe provided between the cylinder periphery and the concave. Sometimes th rop is light andconsequently the cylinder periphery must be moved close .to the concave to insure the proper threshing of the crop. At the upper edge of each of the plates l8a and Hais'secured a rod 53 which extends upwardly through an opening provided in a bracket 54 that away from one another on the supporting means} is secured to the separator l0 and the upper edge of the vertical angles 14. The free end of each of the rods 53 is provided with threads on which are turned nut 55, one at each side of the bracket 54. When the cylinder 49 is to be adjusted relative to the concave l5, the nuts 55 are loosened. If the cylinder 49 is to be lowered, the bolts 28 of the bearing plates l8a, I811, I911, and l9b may be loosened. However, these bearing plates may be a slip fiit in the guide plates 21 and 21a. The upper nuts 55 are loosened. The weight carried by the frame structure under most condition is sufi-ciently great to lower the cylinder 49. In the event there is some grain between the cylinder 49 and the concave l5, the lower nuts 55 may be tightened against the bracket 54 to force the frame structures l1 toward the concave l5. The

bolts 28 are thentightened. If the cylinder is to be raised, the lower nuts 55 are first loosened, and then the upper nuts 55 are tightened to raise the frame structures l1.

From the foregoing description it should be apparent that a novel drive has been provided for the thresher cylinder. The drive embodies novel mean for quickly and easily changing the speed of the cylinder. Further, a novel means is provided for adjusting the thresher cylinder relative to the concave. This adjustment may be made without disturbing the speed of the cylinder.

While only a preferred construction embodying the principles of the present invention has been shown and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific details shown and described, but that, in fact, widely different means may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A Variable pitch diameter pulley assembly including a drive shaft, a cylindrical sleeve member surrounding the shaft, a hand wheel at one end of the cylindrical member for turning the sleeve on'the'shaft, means to tighten or loosen said sleeve member with respect to the shaft, said member having formed on its exterior surface right and left hand threads, mating pulley sections respectively secured to the sleeve portion by means of the said threads, a disk removably secured to said shaft at the end of the sleeve portion remote from the hand wheel, and means carried by said disk and passing through said mating pulley sections in sliding relation thereto to prevent relative rotation between the sleeve member and pulley sections.

2. A variable pitch diameter pulley assembly including a drive shaft, a cylindrical sleeve member surrounding the shaft, a hand wheel at one end of the cylindrical member for turning the sleeve on the shaft, means to tighten or loosen said sleeve member with respect to the shaft, said member having formed on its exterior surface right and left hand threads, mating pulley sections respectively secured to the sleeve portion by means of the said threads, a support member fastened to the shaft at the end of the sleeve portion remote from the hand wheel, and tubular members carried by said support member and extending loosely through the pulley sections parallel to the axis of the shaft'and toward the hand wheel to prevent relative rotation of the pulley sections.

LEE P. MILLARD. STUART D. POOL. 

